


you and me, that's my whole world

by codenametargeter



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Azure Moon Route, F/F, Post-War, background Dimitri/Felix, proposal fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24618229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codenametargeter/pseuds/codenametargeter
Summary: Ingrid and Dorothea have loved each other for years but they've always known that what they have together will one day have to end. It's just a matter of time.Or at least that's the case before some of their friends conspire.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Ingrid Brandl Galatea
Comments: 8
Kudos: 86





	you and me, that's my whole world

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be like... half this length and wasn't even going to be a proposal fic when I first started writing this?? Also, I definitely did not do as much research as I could have into flower language so just roll with it please.
> 
> Oh! And this fic very briefly references events from 'The Trouble With Commas' but you don't need to have read it to follow this.

Dawn came early. Too early. And yet, Ingrid still reluctantly slipped out from beneath the covers only for a hand to grab her wrist.

“Come back to bed,” Dorothea said, words muffled by both blankets and sleep. She couldn’t see anything but her mane of brown hair poking out from beneath the heavy comforter. 

Carefully, Ingrid extracted her wrist from her grasp. “I can’t, love.” The casual terms of endearment had gotten easier as the years had passed. “I promised Felix I’d train with him.”

“Dimitri would probably prefer it if you two didn’t hit each other with sticks so Felix would go back to bed too.”

“His Majesty doesn’t always get what His Majesty wants,” Ingrid said as she pulled on her trousers and then knelt to lace up her boots. “Besides, you’re the one on vacation. I still have to work.”

“Yes. Well.” Finally, Dorothea rolled over just enough so she could actually look at her. “Faerghans. None of you have any sense about the cold.”

She leaned across the bed to press a kiss to the other woman’s temple. “Go back to sleep. I’ll bring you coffee later.”

Dorothea’s eyes fluttered closed and the corners of her lips tugged upwards. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Ingrid said before slipping from the room. 

Felix was waiting for her when she arrived at the training yard, habitual frown on his face as he stretched. “You’re late.”

“It’s early,” she countered, starting to move through her own series of stretches. 

They didn’t speak much as they warmed up and even less as they started sparring. It didn’t stay cold for very long once they were trying to knock each other on their respective rears. By the time the sun was high in the sky, both of them had hit the ground hard more than once and the cold was the furthest thing from their minds. 

“You almost had me there,” Felix said as he offered her a hand up. 

Ingrid shook her head as he pulled her to her feet. “Almost isn’t good enough.”

“True.” That was the nice thing about Felix: he never wasted time with pointless pleasantries. That was also the problem with Felix but at this particular moment, she appreciated it. There was no point in someone offering her anything but honest feedback for something like this even if they weren’t marching off to battle all the time anymore. 

After so long, their morning sparring sessions were enough of a habit that they didn’t need to discuss it and so silently, they went through their respective cool down routines to stretch out sore muscles before they made their way back into the warmth of the castle and the bustling chaos of the kitchen. The workers there hardly gave them a second glance except to politely shove them towards one side and place a pot of tea, two cups, and a small plate of pastries, meat, and cheese in front of them. Felix swiped the one plain roll and immediately began heaping meat and cheese on it. As much as he and Sylvain teased her about her appetite, he was no better after a long training session. She went for one of the sweeter pastries first, smiling as the first taste of strawberry jelly hit her tongue. 

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Felix asked, “How much longer is Dorothea here for?”

Ingrid washed down her current mouthful with a sip of tea. “Another three weeks. She’ll go back to Enbarr with the next merchant caravan.” 

“You must miss her when she’s gone.”

“I do but this is just how it has to be,” Ingrid said between bites of cheese. “We’re not married and our work takes us different directions and neither of us can afford to set that work aside for very long.” She meant that literally. House Galatea was still far from wealthy even with all the work she’d been doing to improve their yearly harvest. It was helping but it still wasn’t enough. But then again, neither one of them had entered into this blind even though neither of them had expected their flirtation to last so many years past their time at the Academy. 

They still didn’t talk about the day they both knew would one day have to come. 

Felix didn’t make any verbal reply. He didn’t have to. If there was one person in Fódlan who understood what it felt like to be unable to marry the person they loved because familial duty required otherwise, it was him. There was tragic comfort in having someone she could share this feeling with even if neither of them wanted to discuss it. It was enough just to know. 

The rest of their conversation in the kitchen stuck to easier topics, mostly about the running of the realm. On occasion, Felix still had to march out (sometimes with her by his side, sometimes with Sylvain) and handle some lords who objected to a unified Fódlan but for the most part, his life was helping Dimitri run the kingdom and handling all of the problems and squabbles that apparently came with it. Ingrid did her best to stay away from all of that because, the way she saw it, she’d done enough mediating for a life time after all the years she spent handling Sylvain, Dimitri, Felix, and all of the trouble they’d managed to stir up especially during their Academy years. But from what little she’d seen, he had a knack for it. Not that she’d tell him that because he’d just scowl and try and pretend to not be flustered. 

The bells tolled eight times and they both rose to their feet with a bit of reluctance. “I should change before court starts,” Felix said, brushing crumbs off his trousers. “Apparently we’re no longer allowed to show up dressed like there’s a war happening.” 

“And Dorothea might be awake by now. Speaking of which,” Ingrid cast her gaze around the kitchen until she made eye contact with one of the workers. “Excuse me. Could I possibly get a cup of coffee brewed? I know we don’t keep much on hand but--”

“Don’t worry, we always make sure we have some for when Mistress Dorothea is here,” the kitchen woman said with a smile, already moving to heat up water. “I’ll make her a cup now.”

Ingrid felt her cheeks go warm and not from the temperature in the room. It wasn’t like she or Dorothea kept their long standing relationship a secret especially now that the war was over but they did try and at least be somewhat discreet. Although she supposed there was no hiding things from the servants especially when they were literally the ones tidying up her quarters and Dorothea’s presence was impossible to miss unless someone had a very misguided idea regarding the tendency of the room’s full-time occupant to wear beautiful dresses. 

“We can bring it up to your rooms, milady,” she offered.

Ingrid shook her head as Felix excused himself. “That’s alright. I don’t mind waiting.”

The kitchen woman nodded and continued to set up everything for the coffee as she talked. “There’s a rumor going around that she’s planning to perform after dinner this evening. Is there any truth to that or is it all just wishful thinking?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Ingrid said, “but I wouldn’t be surprised if she does.”

“Well. Tell her to give us kitchen folk a warning if she does. It’s not often we get to hear someone as lovely as her sing in these halls.”

“I’ll let her know,” Ingrid said, accepting the hot cup of coffee from her and noting the two lumps of sugar sitting on the saucer by the small spoon. Apparently the kitchen really did know Dorothea’s preferences. “And thank you for this.”

“Anytime, Lady Ingrid,”she said before turning back to her work. 

By some miracle, the coffee made it up to her rooms without any splashing over onto the floor or the saucer. Dorothea was midstretch as Ingrid pushed open the heavy wooden door. Instantly, her eyes lit up. “Oh, you’re a treasure! I retract any complaints I made this morning about you leaving for training.”

“Does that mean you don’t want me to come back to bed?” Ingrid asked, smiling wryly as she handed the coffee to her. 

“Not with those boots on,” Dorothea said before frowning as Ingrid began to move away. With one hand, she held onto the coffee and with the other, she drew Ingrid down towards her for a quick kiss. “Thank you, darling.”

“Thank the staff,” Ingrid said as she stepped away from the bed to pull off the offending boots and to strip away her outer layers, shirt, and breastband. The water in the wash basin wasn’t painfully cold thanks to its proximity to the fire so she didn’t flinch as she dipped a washcloth into it and began to perfunctorily clean the training sweat off. “Which, by the way, one of them asked me if you’re planning to sing this evening.”

“Oh?” she asked. The spoon made soft _clinking_ sounds as she stirred in the sugar. “They’re excited about little old me?”

She reached for a fresh breastband and shirt. “You have a reputation.”

“As the stunning beauty on the arm of the ever so gallant Sir Ingrid Galatea?”

Cheeks flaming, Ingrid took a few moments longer than necessary to finish pulling her shirt over her head but it made no difference because Dorothea was still looking straight at her and grinning wickedly. “Don’t tease me.”

After carefully setting her coffee cup aside, Dorothea scrunched her way across the bed until they were only a few feet apart. “And what part of that was teasing?”

“I…”

She reached for one of Ingrid’s hands and brushed her lips against her fingertips. “You must know after all this time how much I love and adore you and think the entire world should think nothing but the best of you.”

That was not helping her blushing situation. “Dorothea…”

She didn’t let her say much more as she drew her closer and then rose up onto her knees to kiss her and by the time their lips parted again, Ingrid couldn’t entirely remember _what_ she’d even been objecting to in the first place. “Your coffee’s going to get cold,” she murmured.

“I suppose that would be a shame after all the trouble you went through to get it for me,” Dorothea said before sitting back and reclaiming her cup. “And I suppose that I should find Dimitri at some point today and tell him I will be singing tonight after all. Since my audience demands it.”

“He and Felix are dealing with the courtiers this morning,” Ingrid said. “You should be able to catch him there whenever they break for lunch.” 

“Oh good. Plenty of time to finish my coffee then. And other things.”

And sing she did that night to a rapt audience filled with nobles and commoners alike who couldn’t take their eyes off the beautiful songstress as she wove a story for them with her song. Ingrid had been fortunate enough to watch Dorothea perform more than a few times on the stage in Enbarr but something about this felt more special. This felt like an embodiment of everything they’d fought so hard for: a somewhat impromptu performance from a renowned guest from far away in a time of peace when there was a time where something like this had seemed like an impossibility. 

When Dorothea made her last bow to the crowd with her hand over her heart and stepped away from the center of the room, Ingrid kept clapping with the rest of them right up until she drew close to where she stood with Dimitri and Felix.

“Your Majesty,” Dorothea said, smiling ever so slightly as she dipped into a shallow curtsey. “I hope my singing was to your liking.”

Dimitri smiled broadly and reached for both of her hands, drawing her close to press his lips lightly against her cheek. “Dorothea, you know you’re never anything less than perfect.”

“Such compliments! And from the king. It could go to a girl’s head.” Her smile only grew broader as she winked at Ingrid who stood to the king’s left. She knew exactly what was coming next but there was nothing she could do to stop it. “Ingrid, darling, are you taking notes?”

“Not all of us have His Majesty’s gift for words even if we do have better handwriting,” Ingrid said, keeping her face straight. 

Dimitri had enough good grace to look abashed at the reminder while Felix rolled his eyes. “Yes… well…”

Dorothea let out a light laugh. “You’re all still so easy to tease. I almost feel bad.”

Ingrid shook her head a little and reached for Dorothea’s hand, reveling in how well it fit in hers. “If you’ll both excuse us, I believe I have some compliments to perfect and pay.”

Waving ever so slightly with the fingers of her free hands, Dorothea grinned and said, “Your Majesty. Your Grace,” before Ingrid pulled her away.

She wove them through the crowd towards the exterior wall and then through the doors out onto one of the hall’s handful balconies that offered a spectacular view during the day. Luckily, someone had lit the brazier which mostly chased away the cold night air but Ingrid wrapped her cape around Dorothea’s shoulders anyways. “Thank you, darling,” Dorothea murmured, reaching across to pull it tighter around her.

“Dorothea,” Ingrid said but it came out sounding strange so she cleared her throat and tried again. “Dorothea. You know how much I… I love you with every bit of my heart even if I don’t… I…” This was all making her feel like an awkward teenager again so she leaned forward and captured her lips with hers, hoping that would convey the message. It seemed to do the trick as Dorothea kissed her back and pressed her body up against hers. 

“I know,” Dorothea said, voice only just barely louder than a whisper once their lips parted. “Of course I know. I just have a weakness for compliments. A side effect of being a diva and all or perhaps it’s a character flaw but it’s true.”

Ingrid twined their fingers together. “I’d start every day by telling you how perfect you are and how happy you make me and I’d end every day just the same for the rest of our lives if I could. If I could...” She ran her thumb along the Goddess ring that Dorothea still wore every day and felt the overwhelming urge to drop to her knees and ask her again but on purpose this time. “If we could.”

“And I’d say yes,” Dorothea said. “If we could.” 

It had been ages since they’d come this close to discussing their situation and somehow, the passage of time made it hurt even more. Ingrid did the only thing she could think of to stop herself from actually asking and started to press soft kisses down first one side of Dorothea’s jaw and then the other before kissing her firmly. 

The door behind them opened and a voice said, “Oh sorry! I’ll… uhh…” and then it shut again, leaving them alone and somewhat abashed. 

Ingrid leaned forward so their foreheads were touching. “We’re going to be the court gossip for the next few days now.”

“Won’t be the first time,” Dorothea said. And she was right; it wouldn’t be. More like the fifth. Beneath her hands, she could feel her shiver. “Perhaps we could return inside?”

Ingrid winced. “Oh. Of course.”

She flashed a smile. “Not that you giving me your cape wasn’t perfectly gallant.” 

“I’ve been selfish for keeping you to myself instead of everyone in there adore you,” Ingrid said as she offered her arm to Dorothea who took it before they slipped back into the hall. Their presence didn’t go unnoticed for terribly long and it was much longer after that that they were surrounded by a handful of well-wishers. “Go, my love,” Ingrid said, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth and reclaiming her cape. “We have another three weeks.”

“We’ll make good use of them,” Dorothea promised her before letting her fans draw her into their midst.

And luckily for both of them later that evening, she always kept her promises.

~ 

As much as Ingrid was loath to admit it, she moped when Dorothea finally had to make her way back to Enbarr. Felix knocked her on her rear in their early morning sparring sessions more often than not and she found her mind drifting towards the south during meetings when she really should have been paying attention. It was noticeable enough that even some of her friends brought it up but she just blushed and hurried to change the subject. It wasn’t like her situation was new. She just wasn’t sure why parting hurt so much more this time.

It was a little over a week after Dorothea had left when a page summoned Ingrid to the king’s offices for an impromptu meeting. 

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see both Dimitri and Felix already waiting for her, the latter’s head bent over a stack of paper. “You sent for me, Your Majesty?”

“Oh, Ingrid! Good, they found you,” Dimitri said, extending a hand towards her and sounding every inch a king. “Please, come in and sit down.”

As she shut the door behind her, Ingrid glanced towards Felix. If anyone knew what Dimitri’s plans were, it would be him. There was almost nothing that happened in the palace that the Duke Fraldarius wasn’t aware of, especially when it involved the king. There was no help to be found there though because Felix simply met her eyes and raised both eyebrows. 

She bowed slightly before taking a seat in the indicated chair, ignoring Dimitri’s furrowed brow of irritation. He hadn’t convinced them to stop calling him ‘Your Highness’ back at the monastery and he wasn’t about to have much more success now that he was ‘Your Majesty’ although they were all still somewhat more relaxed in private. 

Dimitri waited until she was settled before speaking again. “It has been brought to my attention that I have--”

“Did I miss it?” Sylvain demanded as he burst into the room without bothering to knock. 

Felix glared. “Did you forget how to tell time? We told you--”

He waved off Felix’s grousing. “I got held up. Did I miss it?”

“No,” Dimitri cut in before Felix could say anything else. “You didn’t.”

“Good!”

Ingrid frowned as she looked between the faces of her three childhood friends. “Why does this feel like an ambush?”

“I promise that it wasn’t meant to,” Dimitri said although he didn’t succeed in actually keeping his expression neutral.

Her frown deepened. “Now I feel as if I should be worried about whatever this is.” 

Sylvain winked as he dragged a chair over and dropped graceless into it, hands linking behind his head. “Don’t be.”

“You’re not helping, Sylvain,” Felix said before Ingrid could. 

“And you--”

Ingrid raised her voice to a level she hadn’t used with the king since the war. “Will one of you tell me what’s going on before I walk out that door and find a reason to be on the other side of Fódlan for the next month?” 

“I never properly thanked you--any of you,” Dimitri said, glancing around the room, “for all you did for both me and the kingdom. Your loyalty to me never waivered even when perhaps I did not deserve it.” He very noticeably did not look up at Felix but both Sylvain and Ingrid did anyway. Felix’s jaw tensed but he said nothing. The five years when the professor had been gone had been a trial to put it mildly. Dimitri continued, “If anything, I’ve done the opposite by giving you all roles in the running of Fódlan and all the work that comes with them.” 

Ingrid’s brow furrowed. “You never had to thank us.”

Dimitri said, “The point is: I would like to express that thanks now in a way that I hope might make your life at least somewhat simpler if not also happier.” 

“He means you,” Sylvain said very helpfully from where he sprawled in the seat beside her. 

“What?” She sat upright. “Your Majesty, it was _all_ of us and if you’re going to single out anyone for never giving up on finding you those five years, it should be--”

“This isn’t about me,” Felix cut her off. “Or House Fraldarius.”

The wheels in her head spun furiously as she started to make some connections. “Then it’s about… Dimitri, you can’t!” 

Both of his eyebrows raised. “Can’t what? Ease the burden on House Galatea as thanks for service provided by its scion to the crown and House Blaiddyd? It’s already done.” 

“Dimitri…” Ingrid wasn’t entirely sure when she’d gotten to her feet but she was on them now. 

“Ingrid,” Dimitri rose to his own feet and stepped out from behind the desk, taking one of her hands in both of his. “Answer this for me: if you weren’t under such pressure from your father to marry how he wants, what would you do?”

“We don’t talk about things that can’t happen,” she whispered, staring down at their hands because it was easier than looking him in the eye. 

“It’s not like it’s a secret,” Sylvain said from where he sat beside her. “We’ve all known you wanted to marry her since we were back at the Officers Academy.”

“Sylvain!” Ingrid’s eyes went wide as she whirled around to stare at him. “How could you-- _I_ didn’t even know that back then!”

He winked. “So you do want to marry her then.”

“I…” She looked from him to Dimitri to Felix and then back to Sylvain again. “Of course I do but I have a duty to my house and its continuation and…” All three of them were giving her their own variations of the same look. “Your Majesty, what exactly are you doing?” 

Dimitri gestured towards a sealed scroll on his desk. “The details are in there but it is enough coin and such to ensure that House Galatea has the time it needs to stabilize itself.” 

“What about Felix and Sylvain?”

“His Majesty now owes me a favor,” Sylvain said with that cocky grin that had gotten them all into trouble more than once. “Well, he owes House Gautier a favor but really it’s me. And I think Felix already gets enough _special royal privileges_ , don’t you think?”

“I will strangle you with your own shirt,” Felix said without missing a beat.

“Ooo don’t threaten me with a good time.”

“And then murder you with it.

“See? It’s fine.” 

Ingrid took two steps backwards and dropped into what she really hoped was a seat and thankfully was, letting her face fall into her hands. This was all too much to process. Her shoulders shook as she tried not to cry. 

“Ingrid.” Dimitri’s voice was close but she didn’t look up. “Ingrid, please look at me.” 

When she did look up, he was far closer than she expected, kneeling on the ground before her chair. “Your Majesty, you shouldn’t--”

He swept right past her objection to the king of Fódlan kneeling and instead took her hands again. “Ingrid, you have kept all of us together for years now even when you were grieving and even when we fought against it. You deserve happiness more than any of us. True happiness. And if it is within my power to bring about change that would make you happy, I would be a terrible friend if I didn’t do so.”

She swallowed hard but didn’t look away this time even as flashes of the life that perhaps she and Dorothea now could have danced through her mind. But they were all still staring at her and she needed to say something. “I…” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Dimitri, I…” Words failed her so instead, she impulsively flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear, “for giving me a chance at what I know you want too.” He didn’t say anything else but only hugged her back tightly. When she pulled away, everyone very politely gave her a second to discreetly wipe away the few tears that had started to collect in the corners of her eyes. 

As soon as she turned back, Sylvain almost knocked Dimitri over as he swept Ingrid up out of the chair and into an exuberant hug that pulled her off her feet. “You’d better invite all of us to the wedding.”

“Sylvain! Put me down!” It was hard for her words to have their usual sternness when she was smiling. “We haven’t even talked about it yet.” 

He scoffed even as he complied. “She’ll say yes. Anyone with eyes can see how much Dorothea loves you.”

Blushing, she waved away his comment and turned to Felix who’d stayed quieter than the rest throughout. His expression was his usual cross between irritated and blank but after so many years and so many mornings training together and not talking about things, she could read more into it. There was happiness for her there but also mixed with a bittersweet note that their shared pain wouldn’t be shared anymore. Neither of them said anything as she pulled him into a quick, tight hug that said everything it needed to. 

She pulled back and finally looked at Dimitri again who’d righted himself and stood back up. “I still feel like I should keep objecting to this kindness.”

“You could but it’s already been done.” Dimitri handed her a scroll. “I look forward to seeing what new hobby your father will pick up with all of his newly found spare time.” 

“I suppose I’ll have more free time as well since I won’t be--” Ingrid broke off her sentence abruptly as a terrifying realization hit her like a fist to the face. “Oh no.”

Felix was the one to voice what all three were thinking. “What?”

Ingrid dropped her face into her hands and said with a distinct note of despair, “Now I actually have to ask Dorothea to marry me. Again.” 

~

Almost none of her friends were very helpful with that.

Annette and Mercedes suggested hiring a quartet of musicians, dinner, and a completely over the top event. 

Ashe suggested doing something like in one of his books.

Sylvain’s suggestion was something she couldn’t even think about without turning red.

Dimitri suggested that she give Dorothea a sword.

Felix snorted at Dimitri’s suggestion and rolled his eyes as he muttered something that sounded distinctly like ‘dagger girl’. And then later, he quietly told her that a sword wasn’t a terrible idea as long as it was a well-crafted one. 

In the end, it was Dedue who came up with a thoughtful answer. “Flowers,” he said. “A carefully picked bouquet. They have their own language and one that I believe Dorothea speaks fluently.” 

“Oh!” Ingrid said, somewhat surprised to finally hear an answer that she actually could use. Furrowing her brow ever so slightly, she tried to picture some of the flowers that had grown in the monastery’s greenhouse. Right alongside the blooms, she could see Dorothea, bending to smell one with a soft smile on her face. “That would be… that would be perfect, actually.” 

Both of his white eyebrows raised. “You sound surprised.” 

“Everyone else I’ve asked for suggestions hasn’t been very helpful.”

“Even His Majesty?”

“Especially His Majesty.” When Dedue’s expression didn’t change, Ingrid said, “He’s been with Felix for too long and suggested a sword.” 

He nodded. “I cannot imagine Dorothea would appreciate a sword as much as Felix would.”

Especially now that the war was years behind them. Ingrid knew that her lover was talented with a blade but she had also seen the toll that every life had taken on her. The last thing she wanted was to remind her of the blood on all of their hands. She had been silent a moment too long though and so Ingrid cleared her throat and said, “Exactly.” A thought tugged at her mind though and she took another second before speaking again. During the war, they had reached an understanding and Ingrid in particular had learned to let go of her anger towards someone who’d been nothing but loyal and a good man. There was mutual respect between them now but it still wasn’t easy for her to ask for things like this. “If you have the time, could I get your opinion about which flowers might be appropriate?” 

Dedue didn’t even hesitate before answering. “I have the time now if you do.” 

Their in depth discussion of flowers did plenty to calm her nerves… or at least for a time. With Dorothea only recently departed, she had plenty of time to try and plan since their next visit wasn’t for another two months although perhaps it was too much time. 

At least it gave Ingrid enough time to have an incredibly uncomfortable conversation with her father. He’d coughed and sputtered when she’d presented him with the scroll from Dimitri that bought House Galatea several years of breathing room. And then, just like she had, he’d objected. It was a wound to his pride that they needed any sort of assistance. And he had balked when she had told him her plans. 

“But our family’s Crest!” he had exclaimed loudly enough to be heard on the other side of Galatea territory.

“I care about her more than I do our Crest,” Ingrid had said firmly, not realizing how true the words they were until she’d spoken them. 

They hadn’t parted on the best of terms but at least she’d gotten a letter from both of her parents about a week later asking that she convey their thanks and gratitude to the king and promising to properly welcome Dorothea. It was the best she could have hoped for.

She made it all of five weeks before a combination of nerves and eagerness won out. There was no waiting another moment, much less weeks and besides, if by some chance Dorothea said no, Ingrid preferred to bear that pain without an audience. (Not that she had had _any_ intention of proposing anywhere that her friends could witness. The mere thought of doing so made her want to sink into the ground and never emerge again.) 

“Can you spare me for a week?” Ingrid asked Dimitri after a council meeting wrapped up one day. She didn’t often attend meetings like this but as the head of the king’s knights, her presence was occasionally required. 

“Of course,” Dimitri said, only glancing up briefly from the stack of papers he was signing. “Is something wrong?”

Ingrid shifted, linking her hands behind her back. “No, there’s just a personal matter I’d like to handle. In Enbarr.” 

That made him look up properly. “I see. If there is anything that I can do…”

She shook her head. “You’ve already done more than enough. But thank you.”

“When will you leave?”

“Tomorrow,” she said and then hesitated before continuing with, “Please don’t tell the others why I’m gone.”

“You have my silence,” Dimitri said with a hint of a smile.

Despite her nerves, Ingrid could feel the corners of her mouth tugging upwards too. “Thank you,” she said with a little bow before she left the room. 

It was the work of only a few minutes to scribble off a letter for a winged messenger to take to Enbarr to let Dorothea she’d be visiting soon and then significantly more time than that to pack her things. Never before had she stressed this much over her choice in clothing.

For most of the journey south, she managed to keep her emotions in check but once the buildings of Enbarr came into view, her nerves slowly started to rise up within her stomach until she could think of nothing else. Her arrival timing was just off enough that she didn’t have time to see Dorothea before her evening performance started although she was still able to let herself into her apartment. Dorothea had given her a key years ago, almost as soon as she’d acquired it. With time no longer really a factor, Ingrid didn’t rush through washing off the grime from the road and changing into a cleaner, fancier set of clothes before heading out to retrieve the flowers she’d requested from the best shop in Enbarr. She even had enough time to watch the last half hour of the opera from the back of the house. 

As the tenor sang his final note and the curtain came down, Ingrid slipped out of the theatre and backstage. The door guard smiled as she approached the door. “Lady Ingrid, it’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you as well,” Ingrid said, trying to relax her grip on the flowers so she wasn’t crushing them.

“Miss Dorothea said we could expect you tonight. Those are beautiful flowers you’ve brought her.”

She didn’t particularly like lying but did it anyways. “I thought I’d make it up to her for being delayed on my way here.”

He nodded. “Can’t imagine she won’t be happy just to see you.”

Ingrid hoped so too especially once she said what she was here to say.

As usual, bows took a fair amount of time as the audience kept clapping and clapping but eventually, Dorothea breezed through the hallways, looking a bit tired but her face lit up immediately as soon as she saw Ingrid waiting outside her dressing room. “Oh! You made it!”

“Sorry I’m late,” Ingrid had just enough time to say before Dorothea took her face firmly between both of her hands and kissed her. It was a kiss she was more than happy to return as she wrapped her free arm around Dorothea’s slender waist.

“Did you get to see any of the show?” Dorothea asked as she reached behind Ingrid to open the door to her dressing room.

“A bit,” Ingrid said as they stepped inside. It was, as always, a chaotic mess with costumes and make up pots everywhere.

Dorothea kicked off her heels. “I would have been better if I’d known you were watching.”

“You’re always brilliant, love.” 

“Oh, my Ingrid,” Dorothea murmured, softly kissing her again. 

She was fairly sure her cheeks were starting to flush pink when Dorothea stepped back again and so Ingrid cleared her throat and finally held up the flowers. “These are for you.” 

Both of Dorothea’s eyebrows raised inquisitively as she accepted the larger than usual bouquet. They were a mix of blooms in red, orange, and white hues. She didn’t remember exactly what nuance each type brought to the bunch but it was clear Dorothea was able to read more into them than she was. “These absolutely gorgeous flowers _and_ a surprise visit so soon? What’s the occasion?”

“Nothing--it’s just--I wanted to see you and uhhhh talk?” The words tumbled out of Ingrid’s lips and her palms felt uncomfortably clammy. “Sorry. I’m not doing this right.”

“Why don’t you put these in water while I change?” Dorothea said, nodding towards an empty vase on her vanity. 

That was something Ingrid could handle. “Okay.”

They moved about the room quietly for a few moments before Dorothea asked, “Did you pick those out yourself? They really are quite beautiful. I’m not sure I’ve ever received an arrangement quite like it before.” 

“I had help,” Ingrid said. She took her time settling the flowers in the glass container, fiddling with them more than necessary. The downside to not doing this back in Fhirdiad was that she hadn’t been able to show them to Dedue. She’d have to remember to thank him once she got back, regardless how this turned out. 

“Lace me up, would you?” Dorothea said, breathing the words against her ear. At the same time, she looped her arms around Ingrid’s waist and leaned her chin against her shoulder. 

Ingrid’s eyes fluttered shut and she inhaled, reveling in the feel of Dorothea pressed up against her. This was what she loved more than anything; the quiet little moments between them. Outside the door, people bustled around, going about their business but in here, it was just the two of them and nothing else mattered. Keeping her voice quiet, she said, “I don’t think I can reach them like this.”

“Mmm.” She pressed a kiss to a sensitive spot on her neck and then took a step back. “Not too tight please.”

Ingrid spun around and started tightening the laces on the back of Dorothea’s dress. This was another thing she’d gotten good at; both the tightening and the loosening. “Is this new?”

Dorothea nodded, fiddling with something on her wrists. “It was waiting for me at the shop when I got back last month. It’s the latest fashion here in Enbarr. Do you like it?”

“You look beautiful in everything you wear,” Ingrid said and she meant every word. The rich, dark blue hue of it wasn’t usually one Dorothea wore but it complimented her nicely.

“Flatterer,” she said as she turned back to face her. 

“You said you had a weakness for compliments.”

“Especially when they come from you.” With a little toss of her head, she smiled. “Now then. Are you finally going to tell me what this is all about?”

She hadn’t even realized her nerves were gone until they came rushing back. “I just… uhh… I wanted to talk to you. Not in here though?”

All of her years on the stage meant that Dorothea was able to maintain a steady facial expression that gave nothing away better than most but after almost ten years, Ingrid knew her well enough to see through the cracks. She smiled and reached for Ingrid’s arm, guiding them towards the door. “You’ve come an awfully long way for a chat, my love. And with flowers. Red orchids?”

Seiros. Ingrid knew she should’ve paid a little more attention to what each individual flower meant. Her smile betrayed her uncertainty. “They’re… pretty? They made me think of you.”

“You’re getting poetic.”

Ingrid winced. “I can stop if you want?”

“No,” Dorothea said thoughtfully, “I think I like it. Shall we talk over dinner?” 

Oh no. No no no. The only thing Ingrid wanted less than an audience of her friends was an audience of complete strangers. “There’s a balcony upstairs, right? Can we go up there first?”

Dorothea stopped in her tracks, making Ingrid stop with her. “Darling, you’re going to have to tell me what’s going on because I am starting to get concerned.” 

“Balcony? Please?” She was pretty sure she’d just squeaked which was really not a good sign for how things were going to go. “I’ll explain everything.”

For a long moment, Dorothea stared at her. After what felt like an eternity, she pressed a soft kiss to Ingrid’s lips and then said, “Just in case.”

Ingrid’s heart dropped. “In case of what?”

“Let’s go up to the balcony,” Dorothea said, lightly tugging at her arm to lead the way. 

Ingrid didn’t say anything mostly because she couldn’t make her mouth form any words even if she knew what the right ones were. She hadn’t planned for this. Or maybe she had but she couldn’t remember what those plans were. In her mind, she had thought this would go easier. She’d thought that she could casually suggest to Dorothea that they find somewhere private and it would feel natural. But instead, here they were, making their way to the balcony in somewhat uncomfortable silence. And she wasn’t entirely sure what she was going to say anymore.

At least the balcony proved to be the right choice. She’d been up there a few times on past visits to Enbarr. The lights of the city amidst the darkness of night proved a pretty backdrop. Dorothea tugged her hand free and went to lean against the railing, looking out at the city below. Breathing in and out slowly, Ingrid tried to preserve the image in her mind's eye and with it came clarity. She loved this woman more than anything in this life and that was all she had to say.

Carefully, she reached her hand into her breast pocket and pulled out the ring she’d placed there for safe keeping. Curling her fingers tightly around it, she stepped forward. “Do you remember how we started this? I mean us?”

Turning to face her, Dorothea smiled, the expression completely genuine this time. “How could I not? I got to play the gallant hero for once and save you from accepting a proposal from a dirt bag of a man and then you proposed to me.”

“By accident!” Ingrid said, finishing their habitual exchange. She took one more deep breath and dropped down to one knee, holding up the ring. “This isn’t an accident this time.”

Both of Dorothea’s eyes went as wide as saucers and her hands flew to her mouth. 

But it wasn’t a no so she kept going. “I love you,” Ingrid said, “more than I ever thought I could love another person and I don’t want to live the rest of my life without you always as a part of it.”

“We can’t,” Dorothea whispered. “Your family…”

“It’s different now. Something happened after you--” Ingrid shook her head. Explaining the financial trick her friends had pulled wasn’t how she wanted to do this. “But I don’t have to marry some random rich man now and I don’t want to be anyone’s wife but yours. If you’ll have me.”

Dorothea’s hand was shaking as she extended it towards Ingrid’s with the ring. “I…” 

“Please,” Ingrid whispered. 

“Yes,” Dorothea said, wiping away an errant tear from her eyes. “Yes, I’ll marry you!” And then she bent and kissed her, almost making Ingrid overbalance backwards even as she wrapped her free arm around Dorothea, pulling her tighter. It was what did make them finally fall backwards but Ingrid laughed into the kiss even though she took the brunt of it. Dorothea shifted just enough so she was straddling Ingrid’s waist and said, “I’m going to ruin your nice clothes.”

“I don’t care,” Ingrid said, pulling her back down for another kiss. Happiness. This was what true happiness felt like. The state of her clothes was the last thing she was worried about. It was a good thing she’d done this in private because she didn’t even want to think about how ridiculous they must look. 

She wasn’t entirely sure how much time went by before Dorothea pulled away and started to get to her feet. “This isn’t the floor I’d like to have you on,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

Ingrid blushed but clambered to her feet anyways. She blinked as she caught sight of her own tightly clenched fist. “Oh! Wait. I should…” There were marks on her palm from where she’d been gripping the ring. “I think I’m supposed to put this on your finger.”

Dorothea nodded rapidly, extending out her hand so Ingrid could carefully slide the ring on it. It wasn’t an ostentatious piece with its decorated rose gold band and green and blue gemstones but it was a pretty one. Or at least Ingrid thought so. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured, holding her hand up so she could get a better look in the low light. “And it looks a little like…” She smiled as she locked eyes with her. “Why Ingrid, did you have this one made complementary on purpose?”

“It seemed appropriate,” she said, bringing the hand to her lips to kiss her hand and then to kiss both of the rings that now graced her fingers. 

“Your taste is exquisite,” said Dorothea although she wasn’t looking at the ring anymore.

If she were Sylvain, perhaps she could have managed a smooth line in which she turned the compliment back around but she wasn’t so she just leaned forward and kissed her again. Dorothea pressed herself up close against her before Ingrid could draw her close and she was relieved for the relative privacy of the balcony yet again. Kissing and balconies were rapidly becoming linked in her mind and she could hardly object. 

“I’ll need to get you a ring too,” Dorothea mused. “Something perfect for my Ingrid. Something tasteful yet somewhat understated so you can still wear it with your riding gloves. But there will be plenty of time for that.” 

Time. It was finally something they had and Ingrid let out a shuddering breath as she realized it. She grabbed the railing with her closest hand and held on tightly. This was how she usually felt after a battle when the adrenaline left her system but this time it was joy mixed in with the usual relief. 

Dorothea asked, “Are you alright?”

“You have no idea how relieved I am that you said yes,” Ingrid said. “I think it’s all catching up with me.” 

“And here I was feeling relieved this wasn’t you telling me we finally had to end.”

Ingrid blinked. “What?”

Delicately, she reached out and tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear. “You sent me a vague note to say you were coming to visit weeks before our next planned reunion and then showed up looking like you were contemplating depositing the contents of your stomach in the nearest flower pot as you told me we needed to talk. In private.” 

“I…. oh.” Now Ingrid’s face was pink too. “I can see how I made you think that.”

“The flowers were the only thing that stopped me from panicking completely,” Dorothea said. “Those weren’t just a random assortment, were they?”

She shook her head. “No, Dedue helped me pick them out. ”

“He’s in Enbarr?”

“No, he’s in Fhirdiad still. I wrote ahead to the florist. He said that flowers have a language of their own.” 

“Oh that they do,” Dorothea said, snaking her arm around Ingrid’s waist again. “The orchids were a particularly nice touch.” 

“They really do make me think of you,” Ingrid said, happy they were pressed so closely together again. A meter apart had been starting to feel too far. “I want to put one in your hair.” 

She pressed a brief, soft kiss against her lips before saying, “We can take the flowers with us on our way out and you can make me an entire crown of them if you’d like.”

That was an image she wouldn’t be able to get out of her head for a while. Or, more specifically, the thought of Dorothea wearing a crown of red orchids and nothing else. From the look in Dorothea’s eyes, she seemed to have gone to the same place too. Ingrid turned away and cleared her throat, trying to remind herself that the balcony wasn’t nearly private for where her thoughts were going. “You uhhh you said something about dinner before?” 

“Oh, darling,” Dorothea said, planting a kiss on a particularly sensitive part of her neck as they started to make their way back inside. “I can’t possibly be expected to sit across the table from you during something as long as _dinner_. Not when you’ve just proposed marriage and look so positively handsome right now.”

For a moment, Ingrid considered objecting because dinner wasn’t something she skipped unless she absolutely had to. Food was important.

“We can stop by this little food stand on the way home. They make the best pork stuffed buns that I know you’ll love,” Dorothea released her grip on Ingrid’s waist in favor of taking her hand as they made their way down the narrow staircase. “And then, my Ingrid, I have no intention of letting you leave our bed until we eventually drag ourselves out of it for brunch tomorrow.” 

“Oh.” She could be fine with forgoing dinner in that case. At least food was somewhere in the plans. “Okay.”

Dorothea paused right outside her dressing room door and turned to look at her, expression more serious than usual. “You really are my Ingrid now, aren’t you?”

“I’ve been yours since the third time you said it,” Ingrid said, meaning it with every fiber of her being. The first two had been confusing but the third time hadn’t. It had just taken her a little time to realize how completely true it was. And now, she’d be her wife too and not anyone else’s. “Would you say it again? Please?”

“My Ingrid,” Dorothea said with nothing but love in her eyes. She squeezed her hand again and said, “Let me grab the flowers.”

As she disappeared behind the door for a few moments, Ingrid smiled to herself. Tomorrow, they’d eventually go to brunch and she’d sheepishly explain what her friends had done and still be thoroughly embarrassed by the whole thing. Dorothea would tease her about something and Ingrid would blush and they’d both smile as they held hands across the table. She’d have to leave a few days after that but parting wouldn’t be so bittersweet this time because finally, they would have had the chance to make plans for a life together they never thought they’d have. Tonight though, she was happy to spend it doing nothing but loving the woman who was going to be her wife.

Wife. Yes, she could get used to that. 


End file.
